Do you "split" your trip?

[CK1]

Just curious how many of you are avid "trip-splitters" (i.e., a few days at this resort, a few days at that resort, etc.)

We like long trips to WDW (about 10 days +), but we always stay in one spot -- wherever we are is wherever we'll be for the duration! My sister and her crew did a split-trip (not by choice) between VWL and then OKW and said it was a pain to move over. (THey did this b/c they opted to join us at the last minute, and we were at VWL already, but they couldn't get VWL for the entire stay and ended up at OKW for the remainder.)

I should note that we always get a 2 br and have 3 kids and a fully stocked kitchen... wouldn't that make moving a regal fiasco? How bad would a move from BWV to BCV be? I ask this because family is conflicted over next trip -- BWV or BCV. THey're both great, and I will most likely just leave this to a matter of availability (i.e. call at 11 mos window for BWV, then if a 2 queen 2 br is available at 7 mos window for BCV, switch. If not, oh well.)
ANd last ?? -- would MS know if you are getting a 2 queen room or not? (I guess it wouldn't matter, though -- it's not like BWV has 2 queens, right?) I would like it to be a dedicated 2br at BCV, however (i.e. no extra studio kitchen sucking up space), which I think is something they CAN tell you at reservation, and something BCV has over BWV.

Cindy

 

[robinb]

We almost always split our trip. Like you, we stay for 10 days or more but we are ... well ... cheap. We never stay over the weekends because I cannot stand to pay as much for 2 days as we did for the other 5 . I usually start out off-site or at another WDW resort and then move to our DVC 1 bedroom on Sunday. We only have one child, so it's not as stressful .

Honestly, the "luggage fairies" take care of it all, including your groceries if you pack them up. If availability opens up for part of your trip I would say "go for it"!. However, I would recommend staying at one place no fewer than 4 nights due to the unpacking/packing/unpacking hassle.

 

[MinnieGi]

Now we only stay 7 or 8 nights at a time and stay at only one resort. We like to really "settle" into our resort. I think even if we stayed longer we'd still stay at one place. I like to unpack only once and set up the place to feel like home. We even put the suitcases in a closet so we don't see them until it's time to pack up.

 

[madcoco]

Yes on the long summer trips it is usually 3, sometimes 4 resorts. Other times of the year, it is usually one resort.

 

[Richyams]

We spli it in a different way. We have one set of guests the first week and a second set the second week. It really does feel like a second vacation. It give me an excuse to go back to things. Its often with a different aged group of kids(or none) it really does make for a second vacation feel.

 

[zurgswife]

This Christmas i'm splitting in the middle for the first time. On some trips we have spent the first night at a different resorts. During Christmas the plan is Sun-Fri at BWV then Fri-Mon at the Dolphin then back to BWV for Mon- Sat. and Depart for home on Saturday. It was the only way I could afford to get 2 weeks at Christmas at BWV....As we use a 2bdrm villa the points are way to high to do it any other way for our family right now..

I figure as far as food goes I'm going to error on the lesser side this trip...though I am getting pretty go at estimating how much we need. and dry goods I'll pack and take, refrigarated items I'll have to play it by ear...Then I plan to go shopping again when I get back to BWV to fill in the gaps..

 

[Disneyaholic]

The only time we have split a trip was by necessity -- because we booked last-minute and couldn't get one resort for the whole time.

Hopefully, never again! One of the things we love so much about DVC is the "at home" feeling. Spending the better part of a day packing/"homeless"/unpacking isn't vacation to me.

 

[d-r]

Sometimes we go for "long weekend" type trips, three or four nights. During those, we don't "switch." But we usually go for a week or so trip each year, and those we usually switch mid-way. That way, we get to enjoy two locations. This May, we'll do Sunday night - Wed. night at BCV, and enjoy the parks and restuarants over there, then stay at WLV Thurs-Sun night, and enjoy the restaurants and MK and water sports over there. So four nights at each. I think because we do long weekend type trips as well, a three or four night stay seems about "normal" to us, and we'd start to get bored after five nights or so in the same place. Also, we'll have one set of guests for the BCV part, well, relatives at OKW during that time, and another set of guests for the WLV part, so that makes it more fun and interesting, too. Sort of like getting two vacations with the airfare of one.

Oh, one other thing, for us it isn't a big deal to switch, we only take carry ons anyway, and bell services moves them - just have them pick up on the check out day, go where ever you want to a park, then come "home" to the second place and get your bags. No big deal to us really.
DR

 

[tvwalsh]

OKW is hard to leave, literally and figuratively. It is isolated from the other DVC resorts. The move between BWV and BCV would probably be easier. The type of person who picks OKW is usually looking for peace and quiet. The person who picks BWV is looking to be where the action is and therefore would be more open to the activity involved in moving IMHO!

 

[cindy_k]

We're splitting our stay for the first time on our next trip.
2 nights at All Star Music, 5 Nights at OKW, and 1 last night at Yacht Club.

It's Easter week, so we couldn't afford the weekend points and splitting this way was good on the budget and has a nice end at a lovely resort and we get to try SAB.

Should be an interesting experiment.

Cindy in NY

 

[disneydom]

YES WE HAVE SPLIT RESSIES TOO, THIS COMING NOV WE WILL START AT VWL AND THEN ON TO THE BWV , I WOULD RATHER STAY PUT ONCE WE ARIVE BUT I REALY WANT TO EXPERIANCE THE WILDERNESS LODGE
AS TO STAYING OFF SITE ------ NO WAY!!!!!!! I BOUGHT DVC FOR THE DISNEY QUALITY AND FEELING IT'S NOT WORTH IT TO MOVE AND SAVE A FEW POINTS
THIS TIME WE HVE RESERVED A ROOM FOR MY DAD WHEN WE GO CAN'T WAIT

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

We are going for 12 days next Christmas (12 days of Christmas Disney style) and in a similar situation to Zurgswife. We are spending the first 5 nights at the VWL over Christmas, then going to Universal to stay at the HRH for Friday and Saturday. Then back to the BCV for our last 5 nights.

This is the first time we ever did it this way. Usually when we go for a week, we spend our first or last weekend at Universal but the points for next Christmas for a two BR are so high that we are leaving in the middle.

HBC

 

[gracelrm]

We usually only stay 7 nights so we tend to stay put in one place. We are considering someday to go to stay at a Universal Hotel for the weekend to avoid the high points and to enjoy the FOTL priveledge for a couple of days. If we did this in the middle of a Disney stay, surely they wouldn't store our refrigerated items for two or three days until we return - would they

 

[zurgswife]

Happy Birthday Cat that is exactly what Buz/Mattsmom have planned for there Christmas Ressies...we are meeting up with them a few times during our Stays...maybe you'd like to join us at some point...?

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

Zurgswife: We would love to meet up. We are bringing quite a few relatives with us for the holidays so it will be a nice break to meet up with other Dis-ers. I'm sure my four kids would enjoy it too.

HBC

 

[sumessefui]

We like to go to VB for 2 to 3 days first, and then on to OKW for the remaining 8 to 9 days. We don't switch once we get to WDW.

 

[MAC3]

We always split up the vacation, I/We like to see other DVC resorts. It's definately a plus when you are staying longer than 1 week. I have done it for a week as well with no problem.

We always stay at HRH over the weekends it cuts point usage and gives up the opportunity to do IOA & US.

Good Luck with your decision,
Lisa

 

[FredS]

First trip we did not move, but then I began wanting to experience as many resorts as possible. Trips 2 through about 5 we split, generally 3 days at each. Then I got old and tired and my family got a little more crotchety and didn't want to move so we haven't the last few trips. However, we have a "long" trip scheduled for late in May and are going from OKW (four nights) to Hard Rock Hotel (two nights), then back to Disney at BCV (four nights).

 

[travelbug]

I'll be trying a split trip for the first time this coming Christmas. I'm coming down 2 nights earlier than my extended family. So I'll stay those 2 nights in either ASMu (have a ressie) or at Swan/Dolphin (pretty sure I'm going to change my ressie to stay there instead of ASMu). Then I'll move into a BWV 2BR when my family members arrive. Shouldn't be a big deal because it's just me doing the moving.

 

[CaptainMidnight]

We split our trips between WDW and Vero, for a combination of action oriented time and relaxing beach vacation. We like teh combination.